Apparatus for handling and packing toothpicks



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0. 1-". s0AMMAN. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PAGKING TOOTHPIGKS. No. 521,736. 4 Patented June 19, 1894.

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A (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. F. SGAMMAN.

. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PAOKING TOOTHPIGKS. v No. 521,736. Patented June 19, 1894.

g MY W gin/541g To all whom, it may concern:

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onARLEs F. SOAMMAN, OF DEERING, MAINE.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND PACKINGTOOTHPICKS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 521,736, dated June 19, 1894.

Application filed February 7, 1894. Serial No. 499,415- (No model.)

B e it known that I, CHARLES F. SOAMMAN, a cit zen of the United States, residing at Deerlng, 1n the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling and Packing Toothpicks; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whlchit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a toothpick machine or more properly to an apparatus to be attached to a toothpick machine for automatically handling, drying and packing the toothplcks as they fall from the machine.

In the machines to which my invention is designed particularly to be applied, there are two cutting knives with a reciprocating block acting to press the strip of veneer intermittently against them, the picks as they are formed falling down between the knives. Hitherto the picks as they fell from the knives were received on a chute and they were taken by hand and placed in drying trays after which they were dried and packed in boxes by hand. During the various stages of this manipulation the picks became more or less disarranged and when they were packed in the boxes it required a great deal of labor to straighten anda'rrange them in order.

The object of my invention is to avoid this handling of the picks from the time they are formed to the time they are packed and to provide an attachment to the cutting machine by which they may be dried and packed without the use of hand manipulation.

The object of the invention is accomplished by allowing the picks to fall into a spout or receptacle beneath the machine which spout is kept normally full of picks which are removed from the lower endof the spout as fast as they are dropped or forced in by the cutting mechanism. In order to accomplish this purpose'the upper end of the spout is gradually contracted to the narrow opening through which thepicks fall laterally into the spout. Provision is also made whereby the capacity of the spout or receptacle may be automatically expanded to allow a limited amount of accumulation for the reason that the picks are removed from the bottom preferably by the boxful while they are fed uniformly in at the top. Means are provided for drying the picks as they descend through the spout although the apparatus may be used where drying is not necessary.

While, as I have stated the apparatus here in shown was designed with particular reference to toothpick machines having a set of cutting knives and a reciprocating block it may be used with machines using rotating knives or indeed with any form of toothpick machine.

The stop motion hereinafter described as the invention of myself and Henry P. Churchill is made the subject of a separate application filed herewith.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave illustrated mechanism which is well adapted to carry out the several features of my invention although I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact mechanism herein shown.

In the drawings Figure l is a general vertical section and elevation of a toothpick machine having my apparatus attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower end of the spout. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 4 is an end view and Fig. 4 a section of the let off drum. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the latch which secures the trap doors. Fig. 7 is a section taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1, showing several machines connected with one drying apparatus.

A represents atoothpick machine, a represents the cutting knives and a is the reciprocating block which; works against the cutting knives. The picks as they are formed, drop between the knives and fall into the spout or receptacle B secured underneath.

The spout B as here shown is vertical and it is sufficiently long so that the picks will be dry or nearly so when they reach the bottom. The substantially entire upper end b of the spout is gradually contracted in size so that it has a small section immediately below the knives. I find that the gradual contraction of the upper end of the spout to the point where the picks enter is very essential for the reason that any ofiset in the spout or sudden widening of the same gives the picks a chance to settle and leave a space not entirely full, in which case the picks quicklybecome crossed and disarranged.

Means are provided by which the capacity of the spoutB may be automatically expanded to make room for the incoming picks and I effect this result as here shown, by making the lower end of the spout telescoping so that as the picks are forced in at the top the telescoping section will expand. The object of this arrangement will appear later. The telescoping section Z is constructed to slide vertically on the lower end of the spout B and it is counter weighted by means of a weight W connected with the section Zby means of cords t' and c" said cords passing around a drum h. In the form of machine which I have herein shown, the picks are removed from the lower end of the telescoping section Za boxful at a time.

For the purpose of removing the picks I make use of a pair of trap doors at pivoted to the lower end of the section Z and forming when closed, the bottom of the spout. Each door is provided with an outwardly extending arm n to which is pivoted a link n these links beingin turn pivoted to a longitudinally sliding rod n by which the doors are closed. This rod slides in two guides a one above the other and the upper guide is provided with a latch n by which the rod is held down and the doors 7?. prevented from opening. The latch 12, is operated by meansof a spring 71 and it is adapted to engage a notch in the rod n. Spiral springs 71. n are attached to the ends of the arms a for the purpose of pulling them upward and depressing the doors.

The picks are removed by cutting off a quantity sutlicient to fill a box and then discharging them through the trap doors bylifting the latch n and allowing the doors to drop. In this operation I make use of a cutoff plate m which is adapted to slide in horizontal guides in a vertically sliding plate m which is mounted on the lower end of the section I by means of guides at and which may form as herein shown the front of the spout immediately above the lower end. This face plate m is slid upward. the height required to cut 0d a box of picks and the cutoff plate is then inserted.- The latch n" is then lifted releasing the doors through which the picks are discharged intoa box held in position below. As soon as the doors are opened and the picks immediately above them discharged, the face plate m is forced downward by weight of the picks in the spout and the counter-weighted section at the same time moves upward taking up the space which was occupied by the picks which were removed. The doors are then closed and the spout. This is desirable because it is not practicable to remove the picks exactly as fast at the bottom as they are fed In at the top. The expanding section is made large enough so that one or more boxes may be removed and then the machine may be left to gradually fill up without close watching. In stead of forcing the expanding section down by the force of the picks as they are pressed in at the top by the action of the reciprocating block, I prefer to connect with it a let-off mechanism which may be adjusted to release the telescoping section in the exact proportion in which the picks come in at the top. The cords i and 'i' already spoken of as supporting the section Z pass over pulleys t 7. and i and thence around the drum h which is so mounted on the shaft h as to move freely on it in the direction for winding up the cords i and 2', but is prevented from turning on the shaft in the opposite direction. To effect this result I form on one end of the drum a ratchet 72. which is engaged bya pawl 71. pivoted to a plate or disk It secured to the shaft h. The pawl allows the drum to turn to wind up the cords but not in the opposite direction. On the opposite end of the shaft 7?. is secured a gear H which is engaged by a worm e on a vertical shaft 0. and on the same shaft is a ratchet ewhich is operated bya reciprocating pawl f. The pawl f is pivoted to a carriage f which reciprocates on guides g and which is operated by means of a pitman rod f and an eccentric f mounted on the shaft It is desirable to provide a stop motion to act on the let-off mechanism so that when no picks are being fed in at the top the telescoping section will not be released. If no such device is used the body of picks in the spout will settle down and leave a space immediately below the knives, containing no picks, and as a result they are liable to become crossed and disarranged as they fall into the spout- It is important always to keep the spout entirely full of picks up to the knives so that they will have no distance to drop and no chance to get crossed. To overcome this difdculty I have illustrated a stop motion in connection with the rest of my apparatus but 1 do not claim to be the sole inventor of this stop motion the same having been devised by myself and Henry P. Churchill jointly. A swinging arm I) is pivoted in an opening in the side of the spent just below the knives and this arm is so arranged that when the spout is empty it. will swing intothe. spout but when the latter is full it will be pressed outward by the weight of picks above it. The upper end of the spent and the arm I) are constructed of metal or other good conductor of electricity, and secured to the spout but insulated from it is a fixed arm I) of metal. When the arm 19 is pressed outward by the picks it makes an electrical contact with the arm 12*. A wire b leads from the arm b to a battery and the return wire b is ing as least as long as the operation. The circuit. is completed when the arm b is pressed outward against the arm b by the force of the picks. Thus it will be seen that when the spout is entirely full of picks the arm I) is pressed outward and the let-off mechanism is in operation, but when the picks are drawn-down so that the arm I) swings in, the current is interrupted and the pawl f drops and stops the let-off.

In order to dry the picks when they come wet from the machine, I form two sides of the spout of pervious material such as wire netting. This is shown at k. The spout or spouts, if there are more than one, are inclosed in a casing Othrough which an'air blast is made to pass. In Fig. 7 I have represented three machines connected with one casing and provided with an inlet flue cand an outletfiue. c. As before stated, the length of the spouts is such that the picks will be sugficiently dry before they reach the lower en While the telescoping end which I have described-isvery desirable for the purpose of allowing an accumulation of several boxes so that the machine does not have to be closely watched, it may be dispensed with' and a nonextensible spout used.

I claim 1. In a toothpick machine, the combination. with the cutting knives, of aspoutinto which the picks drop laterally, having a trap at the lower end for the removal of the picks, the substantially entire upper end of said spout being gradually contracted to a narrow openpick at the point where the picks enter.

2. In a toothpick machine, the combination with the cutting knives, of a spout permanently located below said knives and into the top of which spout the picks. are dropped laterally, said spout being capable of holding a plurality of boxes of picks, and means at thelower end of said spout for removing said picks one box at a time.

3. In an apparatus for handling and packin g toothpicks, the combination with the cutting knives, of a spout beneath said knives into which the picks drop, a telescoping section on the lower end of said spout and a trap or valve on the lower end of said section for removing the picks, substantially as de-' scribed. v v

4. In an apparatus for handling and packing toothpicks, the combination with the cutting knives, of a spout beneath said knives into which the picks drop, a telescoping section on the lower end of said spout, positive automatic letoff mechanism for operating said telescoping section and a trap or valve for removing said picks, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for handling and packing toothpicks, the combination with the cutting knives, of a spout beneath said knives into which the picks drop, a telescoping section on the lower end of said spout, counterweighted cords for supporting said section, a drum on which said cords are wound, a shaft on which said drum is loosely mounted, a ratchet on one end of said drum .and a gear on the opposite end, a disk secured to saidspout immediately above said trap doors,

horizontal guides in said plate and a cut-off plate adapted to be inserted in said guldes .and means for securing said trap door in place, substantially as described.

7. In a toothpick machine, a spout into.

which the picks drop, a pair of trap doors pivoted on the lower end of said spout, horizontal guides adapted to move vertically in said spout, and a cut-off plate adapted to be 1nserted in said guides and means for securing said trap door in place, substantially as described.

8. In a toothpick machine, a spout into which the picks drop, a counter-weighted telescoping section on the lower end of said spent, a pair of trap doors on the lower end of said telescoping section, horizontal guides adapted to move vertically onsaid telescoping section, and a cut-.ofi plate adapted to slide in said horizontal guides.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1

CHARLES F. SOAMMAN.

Witnesses:

S. W. BATES, E. DUDLEY FREEMAN. I 

